‘Pie challenge’ in 4th of July 2-mile race

Participants of last year’s Inaugural 4th of July Independence Day 2-Mile Race pose for a group photo. (LAO ZHANG)

Members of the CNMI National Athletics Team who hold a grudge against national coach Dr. Ron Snyder, sprints coach David Shamburger, and Run Saipan president Edward S. Dela Cruz Jr., this is your chance for payback.

Run Saipan just announced that national track and field athletes who can outrun Shamburger in this Monday’s 2nd Annual 4th of July Independence Day 2-Mile Race get to smash a pie on Shamburger, Snyder, and Dela Cruz’s faces after the race. The latter two with conditions. 

“Coach David of the sprinters will be running the race. Any national track and field athlete that beats him to the finish line gets to pie him in the face. The first two distance runners to beat coach David to the finish line gets to pie the head coach of the national team and Run Saipan president at the end of the race

Marshall Hoskins tears up the Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio Beach Road Pathway en route to finishing first in last year’s race. (LAO ZHANG)

Shamburger though is no patsy as the CNMI national team assistant coach is a former track athlete at Southern Oregon University where he competed in the long jump, triple jump, 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

Sponsored by Latte Built and in partnership with Run Saipan, the 2nd Annual 4th of July Independence Day 2-Mile Race will be from Garapan Fishing Base to National Office Supply and back.

The 2-miler, which was inspired by the U.S. Army Physical Fitness Test, will also have a  costume contest where the best 4th of July-theme outfit will receive six months of free Latte Built Gym membership.

Finisher medals will also be given to runners who finish the 2-miler, but is limited to the first 50 participants who sign up.

Check-in counter will open at 4:45am and closes at 5:45am when runners are asked to proceed to the start line where a race briefing will be held at 5:50am. The race will then start promptly at 6am.

Last year, Marshall Hoskins and Tiana Cabrera topped the Inaugural 4th of July Independence Day 2-Mile Race. The former only took under 12 minutes—or 11:50:39 to be exact—to make mincemeat of the course. The latter, meanwhile, crossed the finish line in 15:11:57.

For more information on the 2nd Annual 4th of July Independence Day 2-Mile Race, contact Edward S. Dela Cruz Jr. at runsaipan@gmail.com and (670) 287-0891. To register, click on https://raceroster.com/events/2022/61653/july-4th-independence-day-2-mile-race?fbclid=IwAR0akYxe9HpcAumYdNKg0xnz7t-35l0ouVBHqDHJgp_xo1RjtjKak5QxIpY.